Congolese resources can propel country out of poverty

Congolese resources can propel country out of poverty

On the sidelines of the first-ever Kinshasa Economic Forum in March, the EU launched an initial mobilization of €50 million into the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) critical minerals sector. The investment underlines just how important Congolese resources are to the rest of the world, with the country home to…

UN agencies warn of dire conditions in DRC Ebola zone

The United Nations said Friday that the situation in Democratic Republic of Congo, where more Ebola response workers were killed in attacks this week in and around Beni, has become untenable for civilians and the health and humanitarian aid workers seeking to help them. Armed groups have been targeting civilians…

Fragile security of eastern DR Congo threatens Ebola response

Fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo has interfered again with response to the Ebola crisis in affected regions in the country’s east, with World Health Organization (WHO) officials warning that the violence compromises the progress made in recent months. “Following another senseless attack on civilians in eastern DRC on…

Congolese welcome home the body of Etienne Tshisekedi

The body of longtime Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi arrived Thursday evening in Kinshasa as his son Felix – now the nation’s president – waited expectantly at the airport. The younger Tshisekedi then accompanied the body during a formal procession that stopped at his home and at the headquarters of…

Etienne Tshisekedi’s final return offers a moment for reflection

It was February 2017 when longtime Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi died in Brussels, amid the turmoil of former president Joseph Kabila’s refusal to step aside after two terms leading the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now, the body of the late Tshisekedi will return to Kinshasa at last. His repatriation,…

Laureen Fagan

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

WHO adds Ebola coordinator to strengthen DR Congo response

The World Health Organization has appointed an Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as it continues a fight against an Ebola outbreak that has shown no signs of abating. David Gressly, the UN’s deputy special representative serving with MINUSCO, will focus on improving access to communities…

Tshisekedi finally announces new DR Congo prime minister

President Felix Tshisekedi has finally named a prime minister for Democratic Republic of Congo, and it’s longtime politician Dr. Sylvestre Ilunga Ilukamba who gets the nod. The announcement of Ilukamba, most recently the head of the nation’s railway system, was made Monday in a television address. The new prime minister…

Ebola response on hold with at least 9 dead in Butembo fighting

The Ebola response in the city of Butembo, in the eastern North Kivu province of Democratic Republic of Congo, was interrupted by violence again on Wednesday. Congolese media outlets report at least nine people dead following clashes between armed rebel groups and security forces, with some accounts putting the death…

DRC sees uptick in Ebola cases tied to security challenges

There’s been a rise in Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo following weeks of overall decline, and that’s attributed to the volatile climate in the conflict zones of North Kivu and Ituri provinces. “This rise is not unexpected and likely due, in part, to the recently increased security challenges,…